Even as a child he reportedly said: “I will be a hero of the Providence allows”. She did, although he had to support her with ambition and courage. Thanks to these features he became the world’s most recognizable British admiral.

Tegetthoff ClassIn 1907 the navy of the dualist, multinational Austro-Hungarian Empire placed an order for a new class of warships, whose design was based on the “all big gun” concept pioneered by HMS Dreadnought. Eventually four Tegetthoff class vessels were laid down, including the flagship Viribus Unitis, Tagetthoff, Prinz Eugen and Szent Istvan.

In the early years of the 20th century a unique warship was built in Britain. Her name has been famous ever since and not because of her involvement in great sea battles or heroic actions of her crew. Quite the opposite: she spent most of her service life on mundane patrols and rather boring exercises.

In the period just before I World War the arms race of the future opponents was speeding up. British First Sea Lord, admiral John „Jackie” Fisher, was a strong supporter of a battlecruiser doctrine. It was the concept of warships with main battery guns similar to those of dreadnoughts and more powerful engines allowing them to reach higher speeds.

Varyag is certainly one of the best-known warships of the Russian navy that had ever sailed the seas. It had a relatively brief career under the Saint Andrew’s ensign and took part in only one lost battle of a lost war. Yet, for Russians she became a symbol of patriotism in difficult times and the heroic conduct of her crew became a legend.